Automatic firearm



Jan. 15, 1924. 1,481,042

v F. WALTHER ET Al.

AUTOMATIC FIREARM File Aug. 29, 1921 4 sheets-sheet 1 Jan. 15, 1924.

F. WALTHER ET A L AUTO'MAT I C FIREARM Filed Aug. 29 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f4 QE@ Jan. l5, 1924. 1,481,042

` F. WALTHER ET AL AUTOMATIC FIREARM Filed Auges, 1921 4 sheets-sheet s Fig. l1.

Jan. 15, 1924.

l F. WALTHER ET AL AUTOMATIC FIREARM Filed Aug. 29. 1921 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gs-Eli 58 Patented dan. 15, 1924i.

.FTENF OFFRES.

AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

Application filed August 29, 1921. Serial No. 495,756.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT F MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L., 1313.)

,To @ZZ whom t may Concern.' y Be it known that we, FRITZ l/VALTHER and Grone VVAL'rHnn, citizens of the German Republic, residing at Zella-Mehlis 1, Germany, have invented certain new and usefullinproveniente in Automatic Firearms (for which we have filed applications in Germany, January 9, 1920; Denmark, May 12, 1920; Norway, June 28, 1920; Austria, June 1, 1920; Czechoslovakia, d une 21, 1920; Holland, June 2, 1920; Spain, July 17, 1920; Switzerland, May 21, 1920; France, June 30, Y 1920; Italy, June 29, 1920; Sweden, June 2, 1920; Belgium, June 17, 1920; England, June 241, 1920), of which rthe following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in automatic Ere arnis of the type in which the cartridges are fed bv means ofv a slide blockwhich is connected to a convenient moving part of the lock, said slide block being so constructed that after feeding the cartridge it returns the feed device to its original position.

The automa-tic fire arni according to this invention is characterized by the slide block being coupled to the breech block and travelling in a straight line in the receiver, a pin on the feed lever engaging grooves in said slide block in such a manner that the feed lever is raised during the advance of the breech block and therefor-e of the slide block whereby said feed. lever introduces a cartridge into the barrel which cartridge is pushed thereinto by the advancing breech block whilst the feed lever is gradually lowered.`

The .e3-:ample of automatic gun according to the invention, as illustrated in the drawings. has a movable barrel, a toggle joint lock. and the magazine is in the. front of the stock. but the 'invention isv applicable to guns with a tired barrel, Vanother kind of lock, and differentlyv arranged magazine.

Details of the gun and its outer appearance are shown in the drawings, in which Figs. 1-26 show the arrangement of the carriage feed from thel stock magazine into the barrel and the working of the said device and 27 shows the general appearance of the gun.

in the said figures:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the automatic riflel on central lineA I-I (Fig. 18). y Y

Fig. 2 a longitudinal section on the vertical line II-II (Fig. 18).

Fig. 3 shows the position of the part-s in accordance with Fig. 1, more particularly' Fig. 7 shows the corresponding position` of the slide blockan'd of the feed lever'controlled by it. l

Fig. 8 shows the position of the locking hook and of the feed lever in accordance withFig. 6, looking frein inside.

Fig. 9 is a cross section on line IV-IV (Fig. 6).

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal section through the lock with the feedV lever raised by the slide block, on line I-I (Fig. 18).

Fig. 11 is a section similar to that of Fig. 10, on line II-H (Fig. 18).

Figs. 12-15 illustrate the action of the slide block on the feed lever or on the lateral pin provided on the feed lever.

. Fig. 12 is the position corresponding With the position shown on Figs. 10 and 11 with the cartridge raised.

Fig. 13 with the raised cartridge introduced into the barrel.

Fig. 14 when the raised cartridge is pushed by the breech block into the barrel, whilst thefeed lever has been lowered again.

Fig. 15 shows the cartridge being pushed intothe barrel during the advance of the breech block, the feed lever having already reached its low position. Y

Fig. 16 shows in plan a section throu l1 the receiver on line V-V (Fig. 2) with t .e feed lever in position,

slide block Fig. 17 shows the same arrangement in horizontal section (Fig. 2) with the :"'eed lever removed.

Fig. 18 is a cross section through the lock on line Vl-Vl (Fig. 1). Y

Fig. 19 is an elevation or" the slide bloei'.

Fig. 20 is an end vieuv of the saine.

Fig. 21 is a section of the saine on line 1711.*1711 (Fig. 19).

Fig. 22 is a plan oit the said slide block.

Fig. 23 is a section on line H11-V111 (Fig. 19).

" Fig. 24' is an outside elevation of the said ith its spring.

Fig.V 25` shows the position of the slide block when it is raised by the pin of the feed lever in opposition to the action of its sprinff.

Fig. 26 shows the slice block in the sa ie position as in Fig. 25, seen from' the outside.

Fig. 2'? shows the automatic gun in an outside view.

rlhe gun, Fig. 27. conigrises a receiver or breech casing r11, a cover B movable on the saine and into which is screwed the barrel 1, and a stock piece C which .is pivote( at D to the barrel and can be turned away from the receiver A aiter certain locking devices have been released, which stock pico contains the inao'azine.

TWhen the piece C has been turned away from the barrel 1 by turning it about hinge D, the stock can be used as a liar e for' screwing the barrel 1 out of the cover E. this being?.- desirable in this gun the cover B is cl sed at the rear end and has therefore. before the barrel can be released, to be unscrewed. rlhe gun can have a shortened recoil for the cover and the barrel, for it is so arranged. that.. in spite of the reduced recoil. long cartridges can be used. this being rendered possible by the useoi' a toggle joint closing device` The cartridge teed from the stock magazine into the barrel chamber 1 is operated by a breech block moved baclr by the recoil on firing. by inea-21s oit a slide block driven by the said breech block. This arrai 'rement is illustrated in Figs. 1-26. Its vorming is substantiall?.7 ollorvs:- i f The breech block hiringits recoil' and the subsequent advance operates a slide block. |This block is provided with guides with which engages a pin of the cartridge feed lever. The slide block produces4 the raising and lowering' oit the feed lever. ln its low position the feed lever is held fast until a cart-ridge pushed out or the niagazine has released a stop hook, whereupon the teed lever acts under the action ot the slide block. In order to ensure that onlv one cartridge issues from the magazine into the barrel, an automatic locking device is provided which retains the remaining tridges in the magazine. @over mit.. f.

ceives the barrel 1 and the breech block 2. the latter being operated by a toggle joint locking device 3. il. The cartridges are pushed out or' the magazine 5 by means oi' a piston (S controlled and niovcd towards the loci-. vri I pio 8 provided en the breech bloclf; 2 1Qermils il. The piston G 's retained by a stog 9 on the magazine tube so that it cannot ie driven out of the inogaine ln its itorivard and backward inc-vcfont. the breech block opcrates.j by means or a pin 4 0, the slide blockV 11 which Works in l". in the v. orj the receiver. 'illuV blocl: 11 has at the ton and at the bot i cylindrical track faces A14 and by means ot which it travels on the up;r er and bottoni surfaces et the rectilinear guide 13, and it carries a spring 16 which tends to press the front eud of the slide block (Fig. 19) against the het tom traclr tace or' the guide 1B. 'llurinop' of the slide blocl .11 about the cvlinflrica surfaces 141. 15 taires place only when. shown iii Fig. 25. the pin 21 of the feed lever 1S presses the slide block upwards. whereupon thev shank of the soring 16 eii- With an upper groove 1i' in the slide block 26). rlfhis slide block acts on the feed lever 18 in the 'following' manner rlhe feed lever is pivoted on a pin 19 in a part- 20 oit the receiver 1) and pro vided with a lateral pin 21 adapted to travel in the grooves 22. or' the slide bloc.' 11 (Fig. The pin 21 consequently iov-.lies the 'feed lever 1S oscillate corresponding with the position of the slide block 11 in its rectilinear guide 13, that is to say .vith the position of the breech block 2. the breech block 2 operates the slide bloclr 11 by means oit the pin 10. rlhe feed lever 18 has an upper cani tace 24 which Works togel'lief with a cani tace 2o on the slime block (sec 7 and 1.2-1.5). ln Fig. 9) the lil-@eeh J1 block 2 is shown moved forward. rn, E ein 21 being accordingly outside the slide block 11. VVhenthe breech block 2 isipushed back (see direction oi the arrov.'v 7). the piu 21 inoves in the lower groove of 'the slide block 11 and. on striking the vcani fave it raises the slide block 11. the spring 15 being at the saine-thee compressed (see Fig. T). The 'ein allows hovvcv r i 4he slide lilocl to drop downwards. the spring 16 being relaxed. as soon as it has passed it (see 25. 19). TWhen the breech block 2 is ad vaneing agai the slide block 11 ivill raise4 the pin 21 of the Vteed leve which travels over the cani face 27. ln this manner, the feed lever is raised. and also the cartridge 28 on the 'feed lever (Figs. 10-12).

The Jfeed lever remains in the raised position long` as the pin 21 is travelling over the upper cani face 29 (see Fig. 18), Wliereupon the cani race 24 of the feed lever en- 'r slide bloei; 11,

so that, during the advance of the breech block 2 and the consequent advance of slide bloclr, the feed lever .will be sligl cam face 2d of the feed lever7 will ca again a complete lowering of the feed lever. The feed lever must be held fast in its lowest position whilst a cartridge is in the barrel, to be released only when the breech blocl 2 is withdrawn, that is to say automatic@ pushed bach by the gases from explosion'7 and the fired cartridffe ejected, For locking the feed lever a locking hook 30 is used (Fig. 3). This locking hook 30 is adapted to pivot around a pin 31 fixed in the casing il.. The hook 30 has a cam face 32 which acts upon a face 33 of the feed lever 18 (see Fig. s), keeping the feed lever 18 thus in lowered position. The locking hook-30 has a slot 3d with which a pin 35 of a forli 36 engagesE said fork being rotatably mounted on a pin 37 and provided at its front end with lugs 38 which forni abutments for the rearinost cartridge in the magazine 5. A spring 39 tends to depress the fori; 36 at its front lug end 38. This results in the following operation described with reference to Figs. d, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 11.

As long as the breech block 2 is in the forward position and holds the cartridge in the barrel 1, the rearinost cartridge 28 in the magazine is held by the stop or pin 8 of the breech block 2. The spring 39 under the action of the fork 38, has so raised the locking hook 30 that the fork is lowered at its front lug ends (Figs 17 and the lugs 38 no longer engage with the edge of the cartridge 28 but have released the same. The feed lever 18 rests on the forl 36 (Fig. 1). lVhen the breech block 2 moves bacl;5 its stop 8 will be also moved away from the car-V tridge, and the cartridge 28 can slide with the returning breech block 2 the feed lever 18, as the lugs 38 of the forli 36 no longer oppose this movement of the cartridge. As the recoil of the breech block under the action of the gases from 'Firing takes place very rapidly, the cartridge shell 28 advanced by the magazine spring 7 will also be moved back quickly and its edge will strike the locking hook 30. The locking hook 3() is thereby turned about the pin 31. Its projection 32 releases the face 33 of the feed lever 187 so that new, during the subsequent advance of the breech bl (which is caused by a recoil counter sp g) the food lever 18 can also be raised b v means of its pin 21 under the action of the advancing slide block 11. At the sametime however the locking hook 30 in being driven back, has acted by means of its slot 34 on the pin of the fork 3G so that this fori; is pressed upwards (see Figs. 6, 9 and 10), itsspring 39 beingV compressed, and the lugs 38 get in Vslide block 11 so far that the iin on the front face of the slide bloei;1 and front of the next cartridge in the magazine 5 l*lorevent-ing said cartridge from get4A under the feed lever (Figs. 6, 9 and 10). Figs. 6 and 10 it has been assumed that last cartridge 28 of the magazine is on feed lever and that the pins 38 of the fork 3G engage with the driving piston 6.

lf the magazine 3 however still contains several cartridges, the lugs 38 will act on theedge of the rearinost cartridge as shown in 9, whereby the other cartrit ges are prevented from coming out of the magav zine curing the action of the. feed lever 13 and from getting under said feed lever.

The locking of the magazine by means of the lugs 38 continues until the feed lever 18 has been again completely lowered. rElie advancing breech .block 2 has advanced the 21 of the feed lever 18g-sliding in the groove 22 and meeting with resistance at the cam face 26, has been lowered so that the face 33 of the feed lever 18 is caught by the projection or lip 32 of the locking hook 30 l). At this moment the fork 36 is however lowered. owing to the corresponding turning of the locking hook 30 and under the action of the spring 39, its lugs 38 release the new cartridge in the magazine, any other advanc-V ing cartridge being at once pushed bach into the magazine by 'the Stop S of the breech block 2.

The release of the locking hool; is therefore effected by the cartridge 28 being forced out of the magazine, and it is only.7 the release of the locking hook, which causes the release of the feed lever, so that the feed lever can be raised by the advance of the breech block 2 and therefore ofthe slide block 11, owing to the engagement of the nin 2l with the face 27 of the slide block. lf the locking hook 30 were not released the pin 21 of the feed lever 18 would remain in front of the slide block 1 1 and find an abutment on the tain face 2i' that is to'say consequently the brecrh block could not re turn, being coupled with the slide block 1.1 by the pinv l0. .ln order to enable the breech block to advanced again by the closing spring, after the .last cartridge has been tired, hand release for the locking lioolr 30 is provided'. l Under the forli 36 in the receiver a rod l0 mounted so that it can pivot around Pinelli". rllhis rod is depresse by the spring d2 at its front end the fatter projecting at Li3 from the receiver, i all acts on a. bridge da arranged on the fo 36, on the said fork. lWhen the front 43 of the rod lO is forced into the lock,

Lil.)

,clock which aiicws tli ugh its lowl' gom'e f n is feed level' i8 Wlucl is liis UGSiiGii 82 of the locking lio-eli 30 33. The breech Vblock baci: m05?, position ghe Same @f the Cartridge e ramo? cai'triclgc shell Wlicli is expe; w12 n the meantime thc las caitii released by lie cuiiiing sie@ meecli block 2i has been puslie by aziiie sniiiig; Cf' onto *die fcc@ il: siii-illes the lcclrig* hooi; 0.11 the same. back. iis mamie;

the pfojectioi 32 Heng 'ifciccl awa' fiom the facs 38 like 'feed level' l T" lcvei is ieleasc llic is moving hack., dcpifes icar @ncl` lia tlic frena Aci' lui Willi llie botom 0i" lliciie uw in the maga ,inc 0i Willi lili@ plstazfi` 6 of tlc magazine.

@Wing to the czuiriclgfo J 011 lie cecl pcsiti-fm, lic lili-c cai-fridge fr. in lie lever 18 lacing); iii 2m d@ .lugs 3S can easily lic`L QE; on the '-eccl level' and the sprihg cui? lmcic upon ius l iced leve und rem-1 um, as

@mi 'Ecce is parallel c if cc The fcccl level; ren fpm ifi engages l its 241 x iili the again Ricans o:

li I) i c l: @dmc/Sli carlilflggc l' l'ic wat; zi l aimed by the Stop th@ br@ @Wing t0 l'luc g of l mil lo the lower- Gs lili@ foV in, 8` pioiluccd by lic loweriiig and by Elie spying lli@ .,clif'micccl by it@ closcariclge into lli@ 1S emcly for firing @o been cocked {luri of the lfpm 'sending faint nml pulling back tlm lil hc Cum again p1k scfl lio lic nc'ion mit' flic i'ccoil Spring, nil liw'fnoi'c fancies Vl'lie lnicccli block. ci' ciibcfl flic bending* of lli@ cli., withdrawing 0f closed and claimed in applicants 1 ,esmas breech block causes the ejection of the cir fridge and the supply of a new ce t rllhe specific toggle action is '1 p application Serial Number 496,757.

l. ln an automatic fire arm as described comprising in combination a magazine in the front of the stoclr, a breech block.,- a breech casing having straight guidn a feed lever, a grooved slide blo-:ir coupled with said breech bloclr, a lug on s `id breech bloclr designed to retain the rearincst cartridge of said magazine in the front of the stock, a pivotally mounted loclring hoolr for retaining said feed lever in its lor-.vest position designed to be acted upon by the cartridge for releasing the feed lever, a lateral pin on said feed lever guided in the grooves of said slide bloclr designed to be raised to its highest possible position together with said feed lever by the action of the advancing slide block.

2. ln an automatic fire arm as described comprising in combination a magazine in the front of the stock, a breech block, a breech casing having straight guide grooves, a feed lever, al groovcd slide block coupled with said breech bloclr, a lug on said breech block designed to retain the rearmcst cartridge in said magazine, a pivotally mounted locking hook for retaining said feed lever in its lowest position and designed to be acted upon by the cartridge for releasing the feed lever, a lateral pin on said feed lever guided in the grooves of said slide block designed to be raised to its highest position together with said feed lever by vthe action of the advancing slide block, a

Y said locking lever has been released so that the rearinost cartridge is retained from getting upon the feed lever until said lever has returned to its lowest position.

3. ln an automatic fire arm as described comprising-in combination a magazine in the front of the stock, a breechbloch, a breech casing having straight guide grooves, a reed lever, a grooved slide block coupled with said breech block, a lug on said breech block designed to retain the rearmost cartridge of said magazine in the front ofthe stock, a pivo'tally mounted locking hook forvretaining said feed lever in its lowest position and designed to be acted upon by the cartridge for releasing the feed lever, a lateral pin on said feed lever guided in the grooves of said breech casing designed to be raised to its highest position together with said feed lever by the action of the advancing slide block, a pivotally mounted forlr, end lugs on Vsaid forli designed tov come in Contactv with the rearmost cartridge of the magazine after said locking lever has been released so that the rea-rinost cartridge is retained from getting upon the feed lever until said lever hasreturned vto its lowestposition, a rod under said forl, adapted to be operated by hand, a bridge on said forli designed to be acted upon by said. rod so that the feed lever is raised and pin brought into the path of the slide bloeit to release the locking hook in case there should not be cartridge to effect this. Y

1i. ln an automatic fire arm as described comprising` in combination a magazine in the front of the stoclr, a breech block, a .oiecch casing having straight guide grooves,

ce lever, a grooved slide bloclz coupled wiiW said breech block, a lug on said breech blo l; designed to retain the rearinost cartridge of said magazine in the front of the kstoclr, a pivotally mounted loclring hoolr for retaining said feed lever in its lowest position and designed to be acted uponby the cartridge for releasing the feed lever, a lateral pin on said feed lever guided in the grooves of said slide block designed to be raised to its highest position together with said feed leverL by the action of the advancing slide block, a pivotally mounted forlr, end lugs on said fork designed to come in contact with the rearmost cartridge of the `magazine after said locking lever has been released so that the rearmcst cartridge is retained from getting upon the feed lever until said lever has returnedto its lowest position, a rod under said forli adapted to be operated by hand, abridge on said fork designed to be acted upon by said rod so that the feed lever is raised and its pin brought into the path of the slide block to release the locking hook in case there should not be a cartridge to effect this.

5. An automatic fire arm comprising in loo combination a feed lever, a breech casing y said breech bloclr having cylindrical track.

faces and a cam face, a spring on said slide block designed to press the frontV end of the same against the bottom track face of its guide path, a lateral pin on said feed lever adapted to travel in the grooves of said slide block so that the slide block on the rearward movement of the breech block is oscillated and Yon the return movement said lateralv pin of the feed lever running up the cam face of said slide block raises the feed lever, the cartridge being fed into the barrel and inserted in the same through the advancing breech block while the feed lever is being lowered. Y Y

6. inautomatic fire arm comprising in combination a feed lever, a breech casing having straight guide grooves, a breech block, a grooved slide bloclr guided in said straight grooves coupled with said breech block havisa used, lie Certiidge fed ino lie breech bloel'wliile the Jeed lever is being lowei'ed.

T. An automatic fire sim as described eoinpiising in eombii` 'ion a magazine in the front o the so :i bieeeh lloeln e bibeeli casing having' st-iaivlit ide groovest s feed lever, a gooved slide block Coupled with breech bleek, :L lugon seid bre-eeh bloei; designed to retain the ieainiost oal'ridge in seid magazine, e. pivo'ellja meuned looking noel; for retaining seid feed levei1 in its lowest position and designed to be acted upon by the oefftiidge for releasing the feed lever, a lateral lpin on seid feed lever guided in the grooves of seid slide block designed. to be raised to its highest position togethei' with said feed lever by tlie action of the edvencing slide block, e pivotelly mounted foin? end lugs on sei signed io come in con*L et wid) tbe t ezutiige of the magazine eil-ter seid loelnig;` leves has been released so that *glie i'eei'inost eeii'idee is retained ioni gettin@ upon 'ebbe ieee until soie levei' has retninec i position, a i'od undei' seid fork adapted lo be opereed by bend, e bridge on said fork designed io be zie-ged upon by seid iod so bet the feed lever is iaised and its `pin biougli into lbe beth of the slide bleek to 'release said lookinff book in cese there should not be erem'r e to e"Y -liis, and e spi-ing loting upon foil; to retun said fork to t e loweied position.

Ao f' Wlieieoi We our sig neenies in meeence of two witnesses. V FRET@ VALTHE W'AL Witnesses to the signature of ritz lifeliiiei:

PAUL HAUTTER, HERMANN Riiiiisennonn. Witnesses to the signanie of Jflier:

meer i- HERMANN DITZEL, RUDOLF RINKEL. 

